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Chapter 17
Edwin gave a light nod of his head and approached her. In his hand was a wine glass.
“The young ladies kept insisting on toasting to the marriage… I couldn’t very well refuse. But everyone seems to be in high spirits. They kept drinking despite my attempts to stop them and ended up completely drunk.”
Blair began to make excuses with a pitiful expression.
“Ah, is that so? In my recollection, you seemed to be drinking quite a bit as well, my lady. Honestly, I’m rather surprised you’re so composed.”
Edwin chuckled softly as he looked at Blair.
“Not at all. I was just pretending to drink to match the atmosphere. It wouldn’t do to overindulge at one’s first banquet.”
Blair replied, feigning ignorance with an innocent look.
“…Oh, was that it? Well, if you say so, my lady, I shall endeavor to believe you.”
Edwin slowly nodded once, then played along in a sly tone. Feeling awkward at the overly polite back-and-forth, Blair quickly averted her gaze and changed the subject.
“Ahem, ahem. Have you greeted Cassel? I don’t think I saw you with him earlier.”
“Ah, right now isn’t the time for greetings; it’s the time to avoid him.”
“Huh?”
“Thanks to you, my lady, I’ve thoroughly earned my friend’s displeasure.”
“What do you mean…?”
“Well… last time I visited your home, I made an indiscreet remark, and he found out about it.”
Edwin answered while shaking his head. Even just recalling it, the memory of that day sent a shiver down his spine.
‘Cassel, did you have a hot first night? I praised you quite a lot to your lady.’
‘…Virgin.’
‘…?’
‘You are?’
‘No, hey, that’s not—’
“Ugh.”
Edwin shuddered and shook off the memory.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t say it on purpose…”
“It’s alright. Fortunately, it just ended with me getting soundly beaten a few times. Of course, he still glares at me like he wants to kill me.”
“Beaten? That proper gentleman actually hits people?”
Not a proper knightly spar, but just indiscriminately hitting someone. It was a side of Cassel she couldn’t imagine at all, thinking of his usual self.
“Hard to believe, right? For me, it was the first time since we were kids, so it brought back some nostalgia. He doesn’t look it, but he used to be quite spirited and knew how to play pranks back in the day.”
“It’s hard to imagine, but I believe you. He always teases me with a perfectly straight face.”
Blair slumped her shoulders a little and said with a giggle.
“Cassel teases you?”
At that, Edwin raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
“Well, I’ll be. That’s a first. It’s the first time I’ve heard of him teasing anyone other than me.”
“Maybe he learned it all from you. His teasing skills are top-notch, you know? I always fall for it.”
At Blair’s words, Edwin clutched his stomach and let out a low, hearty laugh. That stoic guy teasing someone? It seemed he’d met his match. Though, looking at Blair staring blankly back at him, she probably didn’t realize how significant a change this was.
“So, when did you two first meet?”
“When we were fourteen, I think? It was during the Unification War when the Kingdom of Bavaria was in the thick of it. That’s when he first joined the knight order.”
“You’ve known each other since you were quite young then? What was he like as a child? Whenever I ask, he just says he was ordinary and doesn’t elaborate, so I’m curious.”
“As a child…”
In response to Blair’s question, Edwin paused briefly as if searching his memory, then…
“He was kind of like an unlucky cat, shall we say?”
He said with a mischievous smile playing on his lips. Blair burst out laughing with a ‘pfft’ and asked again.
“What?”
“Half-joking, half-serious. Honestly, my first impression was that he was a bit…unfortunate. He was exceptionally skilled but very wary. He almost only spoke with his younger brother.”
“But how did you become friends?”
“I owed him my life. When I was surrounded by enemy forces and thought it was the end, he saved me. Honestly, it was a bit unexpected. He always seemed so indifferent.”
Blair nodded slightly. Hearing unfamiliar words like enemy forces, surrounded, saved my life, she finally realized it. Cassel was someone who had tread the cold battlefield, brushing shoulders with life and death since childhood.
A noble and refined gentleman.
That was Blair’s assessment after observing him for the month since their marriage. He was far removed from the image of a rough warrior who had taken countless lives in war.
He never raised his voice, and his attire and surroundings were always immaculate. Even when eating, he made no sound, and there was an elegance in the way he neatly arranged his used utensils.
“After that day, I was grateful and also curious, so I clung to him relentlessly, whether he minded or not. Turns out, we were the same age. We spent several years together on battlefields, bumping into each other, and before we knew it, we had become close.”
“You were a good connection for him, Sir Edwin. Truly.”
“Well, we were good for each other. People call him the blue-eyed war demon or whatnot, but in truth, he’s more thoughtful than anyone.”
“That’s right. A perceptive person like me recognized that and promptly married him, didn’t I?”
Blair lightly propped her chin and said with a playful, sly smile.
“Haha, I think I can understand why Cassel proposed to you now. Anyway, I am grateful to you, my lady. Thanks to you, I got to see that guy get lively, angry, and grumbling after a long time.”
Just as Edwin was looking at Blair and laughing heartily, one of his attendants spotted him from afar and bowed.
“Sir Edwin, you were here. The Duke is looking for you.”
Edwin gave a slight nod to the attendant and then tossed back the remaining wine in his glass.
“I suppose I should get going now. The conversation was enjoyable.”
“I enjoyed it too. Almost enough to be sorry you have to leave now. If you ever feel frustrated because of that guy, you can come to me anytime and ask. For you, my lady, I will answer with all sincerity.”
After giving a respectful nod, Edwin, who had taken a few steps away, suddenly stopped and turned his body around. Then, he spoke to Blair, who was tilting her head and blinking in confusion.
“Ah, since we’ve gotten to talk like this, and if it’s not too presumptuous… might I consider you a friend, my lady?”
Toward Edwin, who was smiling like the morning sun, Blair also smiled, nodded, and replied.
“Of course.”
＊＊＊
A few days after the banquet.
“Master, I’m here!”
Blair vigorously knocked on the old wooden door. Having returned to Effron to look after her master, Aaron, as promised to Cassel, she slowly looked around the courtyard. Perhaps because she hadn’t been there to tend to it, weeds had grown more in the yard, but everything else was just as she had left it.
‘Only a month has passed, so why does it feel like it’s been so long?’
A lot had happened in that short time. As Blair chuckled to herself, the door creaked open.
“My child, Blair! How long has it been?”
Through the opened door, the face of Aaron, leaning on his old crutch, appeared. A warm smile still graced his wrinkled face. Seeing the face she had missed so much during their time apart, a mix of overwhelming emotion and joy welled up inside her.
“Master, have you been well? No aches or pains?”
“I’m fine. There’s the medicine you made, and Marty came by twice a week to help with the housework.”
“That’s such a relief. I missed you so much.”
“What about you? Are you hurt anywhere? Weren’t you tired from the long journey?”
“I’m really fine. You know I have stamina.”
“Silly girl, enough talk! You must be tired, don’t just stand outside, come in.”
“Ah, just a moment. Hey there! Please bring the prepared gifts inside.”
Blair turned her head back and raised her voice. Out of nowhere, neatly dressed coachmen strode into the house and set down the loads they carried in both hands.
“Now, Blair. What is all this?”
Aaron asked Blair with a bewildered expression.
“Some clothes, daily necessities, and a little food for you to keep.”
To call it ‘a little’ was an understatement; one side of the living room was filled with the parcels. Even a glance revealed it was more than Blair could have afforded with her usual means.
“This is all—for you, Master!”
Blair spread her hands wide with a proud expression. How much had they struggled because of their meager livelihood? Her heart swelled at the thought that, thanks to one wise decision, she could provide like this for her master, who was like a father to her. However.
“Blair, where did all this come from? You don’t have money for this.”
Contrary to her feelings, Aaron’s expression was serious. He looked almost angry.
